195: Chapter 194 The Game Between Venerables

Chapter 194: The Game Between Venerables

"It has begun." Principal Ye Qin's avatar had a gaze like lightning, tightly locked onto the light screen.

"It is still unknown which city pass the Yao Race will ultimately choose as their main Breakthrough point."

Venerable Xingxuan's gaze was equally heavy, scanning every single screen.

"About a one-fifth probability; it depends on luck."

Principal Ye Qin's avatar spoke in a calm tone, carrying a hint of cautious anticipation.

The Human Race's Venerable-level combat power was also being mobilized in secret at this moment.

Besides Venerable Xingxuan's true body guarding Kindling University, Principal Ye Qin and Venerable Guhe had both made meticulous deployments.

Their true bodies had already left in secret.

Principal Ye Qin and Venerable Xingxuan's Primordial Spirit Clones were each guarding one of the two super-large Interstellar Gates that concerned the survival of Blue Star; this was a bottom line that could not afford any mistakes.

As for Principal Ye Qin's true body, Venerable Guhe's true body, and one of his Primordial Spirit Clones, they were hidden near three key large city passes that had been determined through strategic analysis as the most likely places to be chosen by the Yao Race as true Breakthrough points.

Their goal was very clear: if they could luckily camp at the node where the main force of the Yao Race truly poured in, they could deal a head-on blow while the Yao Race had not yet established a foothold.

If they could directly run into Demon Saint Wujing, who was responsible for the reception, and behead him, it would be possible to turn the tide of the war in one stroke and reduce the pressure from the Yao Race by nearly half.

However, the three Venerables also knew clearly that given Demon Saint Wujing's extremely cautious and cunning personality, the probability of such a good thing happening was minuscule.

Unless he had absolute certainty of being able to retreat unscathed, he would never easily put himself in danger and expose himself to the hunting vision of the Venerable level.

The scene switched back to those Interstellar Gates that were currently transmitting.

The first batch of Yao Kings poured out from over a dozen Interstellar Gates almost simultaneously, each one exuding a pressure comparable to Marquis-level Divine Demons.

As soon as they appeared, they did not pause or look around in the slightest; their goal was extremely clear.

Just as if they had practiced countless times before, they immediately transformed into dozens of streams of light and burrowed without hesitation toward the deep underground beneath the fortress.

Using the complex geological structure to quickly escape and hide.

In the shadows, whether it was Principal Ye Qin's true body, or Venerable Guhe's true body and Primordial Spirit Clone, all remained still, their auras restrained to the extreme.

Attacking at this moment would certainly easily kill a few escaping Yao Kings, but it would alert the enemy and expose their own positions.

If they happened to get lucky, it might even scare the Yao Race into pausing their entire subsequent large-scale invasion plan.

They were waiting, waiting for the signal that the main force of the Yao Race had truly appeared.

Time ticked by second by second.

Soon, the light screen showed that after completing the transmission of a few batches of Yao Kings, the light of most of the Interstellar Gates at the large city passes rapidly dimmed and stopped operating.

In the end, only one Interstellar Gate remained, continuously shining with intense transmission light; this was exactly the Black Rock City Pass where Demon Saint Wujing had lurked in advance.

Unfortunately, neither Principal Ye Qin nor Venerable Guhe were guarding this Black Rock City Pass.

Luck, this time, did not stand on the side of the Human Race.

Confirming that the Breakthrough point chosen by the Yao Race's main force was not the place they were guarding, the two Venerables no longer hesitated.

Since they could not wait for the big fish, they would first prune its claws and teeth.

Principal Ye Qin's true body revealed his figure near the city pass; he had no unnecessary movements, and where his gaze fell, an invisible power of rules suddenly descended.

Several Yao Kings who were rapidly escaping deep underground suddenly had their figures freeze, as if they had fallen into an extremely viscous quagmire, and even their thoughts became sluggish.

Immediately after, their Yao bodies along with their powerful Yao souls, as if erased by an invisible eraser, were silently and completely annihilated from the material and energy levels, leaving only a few artifacts behind.

At the same time, near Ash City Pass, Venerable Guhe also stepped out of the Void Realm.

His movements looked even simpler and more direct; he just flicked his sleeve toward the front.

In an instant, space shattered inch by inch like fragile glass, forming a void storm of annihilation.

Those few Yao Kings who were also escaping underground did not even have time to scream before their powerful Yao bodies, along with their protective treasures, were directly torn apart in this terrifying space storm.

His methods were even more domineering and decisive than Principal Ye Qin's.

The scene cut back to the vicinity of Black Rock City Pass.

Demon Saint Wujing's true body had been lurking in the distance, his aura completely merged into the folds of the Void Realm, like a patient hunter, and also like a cold rock.

His keen Divine Sense perceived the spatial transmission fluctuations nearby, while also being vigilant for the appearance of any Human Race Venerable-level auras.

Time passed, and the transmission at Black Rock City Pass continued, yet he never sensed any power fluctuations from a Human Race Venerable-level existence approaching.

Demon Saint Wujing's tense nerves finally relaxed slightly.

"It seems that the Human Race's Venerables were indeed held back by Emperor Fu's deployment and our feint attack—" he thought to himself.

Since the Human Race's Venerables had not yet made a move to intercept the main force by this moment, it basically meant that they were highly unlikely to, or rather, were unable to intervene here.

The mission was initially completed, and this place was no longer suitable for a long stay.

Demon Saint Wujing did not have the slightest hesitation; the space near him once again rippled with an extremely slight, almost imperceptible fluctuation.

The next moment, his figure, like melting ice and snow, slowly dissipated into nothingness, as if he had never appeared.

Kindling University, Wudao Peak, back mountain pavilion.

On the virtual light screen, among those dozen or so monitoring windows, the only one that remained lit, the "Black Rock City Pass" screen, clearly showed an endless stream of Yao Race members above the Yao King-rank pouring in through the Interstellar Gate.

And the scene of Principal Ye Qin and Venerable Guhe instantly killing scattered Yao Kings also flashed by.

The three Venerables inside the pavilion, looking at the light screen, all revealed a trace of undisguisable regret on their faces.

Killing a few Yao Kings was merely a drop in the bucket for the overall situation.

"What a pity." Venerable Xingxuan sighed softly, his tone carrying heaviness.

Even if they rushed over now, it would be too late to stop it; at most, they could make the Yao Race stop continuing to send in reinforcements, but it would have little significance.

Principal Ye Qin and Venerable Guhe's avatars also nodded slightly.

On the monitoring light screen, the transmission light of the Black Rock City Pass Interstellar Gate remained intense.

Signaling that this storm, which would sweep across the entire Blue Star, had already arrived.

That night, apart from Black Rock City Pass, countless Yao Race members also poured into other small and medium-sized city passes simultaneously.

The Human Race's strategic contraction had been completed according to the "Return to Void Plan," with the population all gathered in core fortress cities.

The price was the abandonment of vast territories and all Interstellar Gate city passes except for Shanyu Pass and Canghai Pass.

This was not cowardice, but a cruel trade-off based on reality.

Demon Saint Wujing, as long as he did not show his traces for a day, would hold back the Human Race's strongest Venerable-level combat power for a day.

Sending precious King-rank Divine Demons to guard those large city passes that were destined to be breached? The risk was too high.

The Human Race's King-rank powerhouses were already few and far between; excluding the few who had awakened from slumber, like Martial King Tianwu, if the other King-ranks unfortunately encountered Wujing, they would likely fall before they could hold on for long.

To kill a few Marquis Level Yao Kings and sacrifice the Human Race's top combat power was not worth the loss.

What was even more fatal was the threat of city massacres.

If the Human Race dispersed their main King-rank powerhouses to guard the Interstellar Gates, Demon Saint Wujing could completely do the opposite and strike directly at the fortress cities with relatively weak defenses.

With his Saint-Grade strength, massacring a city and wiping out its traces would be as easy as flipping his palm.

Population was the Foundation for the continuation of the Human Race; once lost in large numbers, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Although this probability was not high, and Demon Saint Wujing would not trade his own safety for ordinary Mortals, the Human Race had to be on guard.

Another point was that the Yao Race completely controlled the timing of the invasion.

Even if the Human Race paid a great price to hold all the city passes tonight, the Yao Race could temporarily give up.

If they didn't attack tonight, they could just come back tomorrow night, or even drag it out indefinitely.

This was an open conspiracy that the Yao Race was carrying out, relying on their overwhelming power.

The Human Race could currently only bear this pressure and watch helplessly.

Thus, after abandoning the outer city passes, the Yao Race's torrent had no more obstacles and surged into the Human Race's hinterland.

The second all-out war between the Human Race and the Yao Race officially raised its blood-colored curtain.

Time flowed by, bit by bit.

The Yao Race's massive army, after a night of mobilization and hiding, infiltrated the deep underground of abandoned cities and wilderness areas all over Blue Star like a plague.

Only waiting for the highest command to break through the ground and pounce on humanity's final core fortress cities.

Inside the deepest palace of the Shadow Organization, Demon Saint Wujing sat upright on the main seat.

In front of him floated a huge holographic projection of Blue Star, on which countless light spots were densely distributed.

Each light spot represented a standby Yao Race force, and different colors distinguished different ethnic groups.

The dim green light spots representing ordinary Yao Race members covered the outer areas like moss.

The yellow light spots symbolizing powerful Yao Kings densely surrounded every human core fortress city like poisonous thorns.

The occasional blinking, glaring red dots were the Great Yao Kings on whom high hopes were placed, lurking in positions closer to the heart.

The light spots gathered like a galaxy, pointing directly at the lifeline of human survival.

Demon Saint Wujing gazed at the war panorama, which had been poured with the vast ambitions and resources of the Yao Race. His eyes were deep, yet he hesitated to issue the final attack order.

During these years of lurking in the human world, he had not merely been recovering or waiting.

The crystallized wisdom accumulated by the Human Race over thousands of years, especially those regarding the cunning and calculations of the "Art of War," had benefited him immensely.

"War is a path of deception. When weak, appear strong; when strong, appear weak."

This sentence was deeply imprinted in his heart.

Now was the perfect time to apply this lesson.

He knew that the Human Race must be fully prepared for battle, with morale at its Peak.

A forced, head-on collision, even if victorious, would inevitably come at a heavy price.

What he wanted to do was to let this heavy cloud of war continuously and silently hang over all human cities.

To let taut nerves be gradually eroded by anxiety and fatigue during the long wait, and to let high morale quietly slip away in silent torment.

Only when that string was stretched to its limit and showed the slightest, imperceptible slack, would he launch that thunderous strike.

Let fear and time become the invisible vanguards of his army.

Demon Saint Wujing's calculations were hidden deep in his heart, not even shared with his core subordinates.

This caused the Yao Race armies scattered across Blue Star to inevitably become filled with restlessness and confusion during the deathly silent wait.

Deep underground on the outskirts of a core Human Race fortress city, several Yao Kings were gathered together.

Their massive Yao bodies appeared somewhat cramped in the narrow space, and the air was filled with the smell of earth and an oppressive atmosphere.

A bull Yao couldn't help but speak in a muffled voice: "What is going on? Weren't we ready long ago? Why hasn't the order to attack been given? What is Demon Saint waiting for?"

His iron horns impatiently scraped the rocks beside him.

A Yao King with a cold aura beside him glanced at him, his voice raspy: "Are the thoughts of great figures something you or I can fathom? Wait if told to wait, attack if told to attack. What's the rush?"

"But—" another Yao King with a slightly hunched figure interjected, his voice filled with hesitation, "I heard that five years ago, it was also a full-scale attack, and the result—was a miserable defeat."

His words evoked the memories of the failed "Year-End Operation" among the Yao Kings present, making the atmosphere even more somber.

A Yao King with the most robust physique, covered in heavy rock armor, snorted, trying to boost morale: "That's different! How many Yao Kings were there last time? This time, there are a thousand just from the lottery! Not to mention Demon Saint Wujing himself is presiding over this. Victory is inevitable."

He paused, his voice lowering as well, "I just don't know how long it will take—the King-rank of the Human Race are far more numerous than the Great Yao Kings we have brought in. The longer it drags on, the greater the variables."

The last Yao King, who had remained silent, finally spoke, his voice grave: "Yes, I just hope—we can succeed in one battle. Otherwise, if we drag it out deep in this Human Race territory, it is hard to say whether we will be able to return to the Monster Realm."

Anxiety, like cold vines, wrapped around the hearts of every Yao King.

The unknown wait was more unsettling than certain slaughter.

Meanwhile, at the back mountain of Wudao Peak at Kindling University, in an elegant pavilion.

The white-haired Principal Ye Qin, Venerable Xingxuan, and Venerable Guhe sat around, a map of the Blue Star situation hovering before them as well.

However, compared to the brilliant galaxy on Demon Saint Wujing's side, the light points on the Human Race's side appeared much sparser, with the Divine Demons representing core power like isolated lamps dotted on a dark sea surface.

Yet, among this limited light, dozens of rays were exceptionally dazzling and stable, guarding key nodes like stabilizing pillars—these were the King-rank Divine Demons of the Human Race.

One of these rays was the most intense, representing Heavenly Martial King, whose combat power was comparable to a normal Venerable, responsible for roaming and support.

Another slightly dimmer ray was Tyrant Heaven King, who was stationed at the Yanjing Fortress.

The atmosphere in the pavilion was heavy, but not panicked.

"We just received the latest intelligence from Jiang Hong inside the Shadow Organization," Principal Ye Qin said in a calm tone, breaking the brief silence, "All Yao Race units have entered a standby silent state, with no signs of an immediate attack."

Venerable Guhe picked up the clear tea before him, the corners of his mouth curling into a cold arc: "Heh, it seems this Demon Saint Wujing learns fast. Wants to play a stalling game with us to wear down our sharpness? Interesting."

Then his gaze was like lightning, sweeping over the dense yellow light points on the holographic map that symbolized terrifying pressure, and he said slowly: "He wants to grind away our morale, why can't we conversely temper their patience and sharpness?"

"Pass down the order: all fortress cities are to maintain the highest combat readiness, rotate for rest, and maintain basic vigilance.

Tell the Divine Demons that we will fight whenever the Yao Race comes. Before that, conserve energy and build up strength."

His words were steady and powerful, carrying a calmness born of experiencing many vicissitudes.

"Then we shall play along with him." Principal Ye Qin nodded, his gaze also falling on the holographic map, "Let's see who can hold their breath until the very end."

The pavilion returned to peace, with only the dozens of dazzling light points representing the top combat power of the Human Race, surrounded by the yellow star sea symbolizing the vast pressure of the Yao Race, silently flickering with a firm and unyielding light.

An invisible contest had already begun in the deathly silence before the war.

The air seemed to have solidified, and time became viscous and heavy during the wait, with every minute and every second permeated with the oppression of a coming storm.

In the heart of Blue Star, the fate of billions of living beings hung upon this suffocating tranquility before the storm.

One day later.

The Xihu City Fortress, about 4,500 miles away from Changning City.

This once prosperous city had now become a massive war fortress.

The atmosphere inside the city was grim, and the halo of the energy shield flowed endlessly under the sunlight.

Inside a hidden tactical node in the city's core area, three Marquis-level Divine Demons were waiting.

The old man leading them was Marquis Qingyuan, who had once presided over the Kindling University entrance examination.

Beside him was a middle-aged man with a serious face carrying a long sword, and a sturdy man who looked relatively younger with a lean, strong build.

"According to the analysis of residual signals from monitoring stations and reconnaissance intelligence, the number of Yao Kings that poured through the Black Rock City Pass last night is preliminarily estimated to be close to one thousand."

The Marquis surnamed Li, who was carrying the long sword, said in a deep voice, his fingertips sliding across the tactical screen, bringing up a series of data and blurry video clips.

"In terms of numbers, the Yao Race indeed holds an overwhelming advantage," the sturdy Marquis surnamed Wang interjected, brows furrowed, "Across the entire Blue Star, we Human Race Marquis Level total no more than two hundred. They have deployed a thousand Yao Kings at once. If not for our absolute advantage at the Venerable level and the top King-rank level, this war would be impossible to fight."

Marquis Qingyuan stroked his grey beard, his eyes revealing deep worry: "The enemy is many and we are few; I only hope the defense deployments of other fortress cities are solid enough to withstand the fierce onslaught of the Yao Race."

"Senior Brother Lu, there is no need to worry too much," the Marquis surnamed Li comforted, "At first, I also thought each city would be equipped with at most two Marquis Level. Since the higher-ups could dispatch the three of us to guard Xihu together, it means the defensive strength of the core fortresses must have been strengthened.

With the strength of the three of us, as long as the invading Yao Kings do not exceed seven or eight, or there is no Great Yao King presiding, defending Xihu City should be without issue."

His words carried a steady confidence, which was the Foundation brought by long experience in battle and his own strength.

His sword technique had long stepped into the "Domain Realm," and his combat power was firmly ranked at the Peak Marquis Level.

The Marquis surnamed Wang also nodded, looking at the Marquis surnamed Li with a hint of respect: "Senior Brother Li is absolutely right. With Senior Brother's 'Heaven-Splitting Sword Domain' as the main attack, Senior Brother Lu's 'Qingyuan Realm' to assist in controlling the overall situation, plus my Physical Body to maneuver in the front, as long as it is not an overwhelming number of opponents or a Great Yao King appearing, we can indeed fight."

Although his tone was humble, when mentioning his own strength, a fierce and brave aura naturally revealed itself.

Being able to Breakthrough to Marquis Level with the eighth heaven Perfection realm of "War Heaven Divine Body," his Physical Body strength and power were also outstanding among Marquis Level, with combat power close to the top Marquis Level.

Marquis Qingyuan nodded slightly, a rare smile appearing on his face: "Junior Brother Wang is too modest. Being able to cultivate the "War Heaven Divine Body" to the eighth heaven Perfection and break through, your potential and upper limit far exceed ours; your future achievements will be limitless, and King-rank will be a matter of course."

Just as they were talking—

"Hmm?" The smile on Marquis Qingyuan's face instantly vanished, his cloudy eyes suddenly becoming as sharp as an eagle's, and he suddenly looked up towards the southeast of the city.

Reincarnation